Darrell Issa: State Department submitted some Benghazi documents

The State Department has turned over some documents in response to a subpoena from Rep. Darrell Issa seeking more information about changed talking points after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

“Committee investigators are reviewing the documents to assess the completeness of the delivery,” Frederick Hill, spokesman for Issa, who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in an e-mail.

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The documents were turned over late Friday, the deadline for compliance.

Last month, Issa had requested State turn over documents from ten current and former State employees not included in a previous round of disclosure. Republicans claim the documents could provide more details into how and why the talking points were changed.

At issue are charges from Republicans that the White House stripped the talking points — which U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used in appearances on Sunday shows the weekend after the attacks — of all references to “terrorism” in order to achieve a political goal.

In response, the White House turned over 100 pages of emails in May and argued those emails show it was CIA Deputy Director Mike Morrell — not State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland — who first suggested removing terrorism references from the talking points.

Among the 10 employees whose correspondences are being sought are Nuland; Cheryl Mills, a top Clinton aide who Republicans have accused of mounting a political coverup in the aftermath of the attacks; William Burns, the deputy secretary of state; and Beth Jones, the acting assistant secretary for Near East Affairs, who has also been the subject of criticism by Republicans.

Given the subject of the subpoena, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking member of the committee, called the requests politically charged and an attempt to smear former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.